18 Aug

Posted at 14:15h in General Interest by
0 Likes

What is Concrete?

From Gizmodo

After Water, It's the most widely used material on our planet.  Ton for ton, says this article from Gizmodo, concrete is used by humans more than steel, wood, plastics, and aluminum combined.  The supply and use of concrete is a $100,000,000,000 industry.  What is amazing is that most people don't really understand what concrete really is.  This post explains the volcanic origins of concrete, how it was prevalent in the ancient world and then forgotten, and how it's rediscovery and evolution is doing more to shape our physical world than any other material on Earth.

Here is an excerpt from the post:

13 Aug

Posted at 14:14h in General Interest by
0 Likes

Top Swimming Pool Myths Debunked

Water and Pools: Sorting Out Truth From Fiction

From About.com Pool and Patio

When it comes to swimming pools of all kinds, there exists no shortage of urban legends, myths, and misconceptions that have been accepted as fact.  Who among us hasn't heard that if a certain chemical is placed into the pool and someone pees in the pool, the chemical will turn colors and reveal the pool pee-er?  This post from About.com Pool and Patio takes a mythbusting tact to this an many other popular urban myths to separate truth from fiction.

Here is an excerpt from the post:

12 Aug

Posted at 16:24h in General Interest by
0 Likes

Chlorine: The Cause of Irritated Eyes of Swimmers?

From Healthy Pools

The most common misconception surrounding swimming pools is the cause for the "Chlorine" smell, eye and skin irritation, and skin disorders.  A properly chlorinated pool will not smell, will not irritate eyes, and will not be a catalyst for spreading disease.  The concept, simply put, is that chlorine has three distinct components that determine it's killing capacity:  Total Chlorine, Free Chlorine, and Combined Chlorine.  Combined Chlorine is the culprit, and is caused by the chemical reaction that occurs when chlorine actually does it's job.  This post from Healthy Pools expounds on this concept, and busts an often perpetrated urban legend around chlorine and swimming pools.

Here is an excerpt from the post: